Bottle-crate.



25;; a I. A. g, Q5; by 0,7 D1 3 G KLENK BOTTLE CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1a. 1909.

I/Vi [messes G. KLENK.

\ BOTTLE CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I8. I909.

Patented May 18, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

v aumwvlo m Ma? lvitmewca 1% 14 I v atitotflfld G. KLENK.

BOTTLE CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18. I909.

Patented May 18, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

an earns earn 1 GOTTLIEIB KLENK, 0F DEFIANCE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE DEFIANCE PRESS QTEEL COMP, OF OHIO.

BOTTLE-CRATE.

To (222 whom it may concern. I

Be it known that I, Gom nn KLENK, citizen of the United States, residing at Defiance, in the county of Defiance and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Crates, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to bottle-holding crates, and has as its objectto provide an improved retaining mechanism by whlch the bottles can be held in position within the crate irrespective of whether the crate is resting upon its side, top, or bottom. These crates are used to transport bottles filled with liquid from places of supply places Where the bottles are emptied of their contents, and also to hold the empty bottles when they are being returned to be refilled. Probably thecommonest instance of such use of bottle crates is in the delivery of milk from the central distributing dairy to the various consumers.

The empty bottles are most conveniently cleansed while in the crates, and it has been found most economical of time and labor to run the boxes loaded with bottles through washing machines and to refill the bottles without removing them from the box or crate. It is necessary to the operation of these washing machines that the crates be conveyed through them resting upon their sides and in some cases with their top edges turned downward. The improvement, which is the subject-matter of this application, consists in means for retaining the bottles in the crates whatever may be the position of the crate as it is passing through the washing machine.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of a complete crate embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal section of the crate. Fig. 4 is an end view. Fig 5 is a topplan View of the retaining plate. Fig. 6 is an edge View of the same. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the latch. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary end view of a box provided with a modified form of plate locking device. Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 8. 11 indicate the sides and 22 the ends specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 13, 319156 Application filed August 18, 1909. Serial No. 513,472.

of the box. The box is shown provided with an open bottom consisting of the longitudinallyarranged rods 33, which are socured in any desired manner at their ends and at intermediate points to the frame work of the box. Cells for holding the bottles apart from one another and maintaining to them in definite positions in the box interior are formed by means of the transversely arranged vertical sheets of metal 4 and the intersecting longitudinal sheets 5. As

. shown in the drawings, the transverse sheets or plates are extended below the lower edges, of the longitudinal sheets or plates and are intersected near their lower edges by the bottle supporting rods 3.

The upper edges of the sides and end walls are suitably reinforced to prevent deformation, and the lower edges of the sides and ends are similarly reinforced by being crimped with the strips of metal 7. These strips are four in number, one for each end or side wall, and are formed on their inner edges with a bead 8 inclosing a reinforcing wire 9, the bead and wire constituting a stacking flange. The under face of the crimp fold 10 is in the same Vertical plane with the upper reinforced edges 11 and is adapted to engage with such upper reinforced edges of another box when the boxes are piled vertically one upon another. When thus piled or stacked, the heads 8 fit down within struction shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, and

formed from a separate strip of metal 15 interfolded with the metal of the end wall 2 in the modified construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

The bottles are ordinarily placed in the crate cells and are freely removable therefrom. But When it is intended to firmly hold the bottles in their cells when the crate is in a washing machine, or at any other time, the bottle-retaining plate 16 is 'employed. This plate consists of a rectangular These holes are 90 sheet of metal beaded at each of its edges about a rectangular wire frame 17. The plate is perforated as at 18-18, the openings thus formed being arranged one over each of the bottle cells. These openings have a diameter such that when the plateis in position the necks of the bottles Wlll snugly fit within the openings and the lower body parts of the bottles being of a larger diameter than that of the openings will prevent the removal of the bottles from the crate. The plate is ribbed as at '19, 19 to take up slack in the metal and to give the sheet additional rigidity, the plate being provided with small perforations 20 at the intersection of these ribs for convenience in manufacture and to serve as finger holes by which the plate can be lifted from the crate. This plate is supported in the box in a horizontal position upon the brackets 21, one of which is secured in each corner of the box at the proper position vertically for the desired cooperation between the plate 16 and the bottles. These brackets 21 are formed each with a horizontal plate part 21 and the two vertical walls 21 depending therefrom and disposed at right angles to each other. Each of these two walls is adapted to engage the adjacent lateral wall of the box and to be rigidly connected therewith by riveting or otherwise. These brackets not only act as supports for the retaining plate 16 but fulfil the additional purpose of bracing the box walls and imparting to them additional rigidity. When these crates are piled in delivery wagons it often becomes desirable to put a rope or chain around the outside walls of the pile, the rope or chain being so secured as to prevent the boxes from falling from the wagon. This rope or chain engages the boxes in horizontal planes midway between the top and bottom edges of the crates. The corner brackets 21 are mounted in such a horizontal plane approximately midway between the top and bottom edges of a crate that they are especially adapted to withstand the stress put upon the boxes by this rope or chain. It will be readily apparent that the retaining plate 16 itself assists in reinforcing the crate against stresses applied horizontally to the lateral walls of the box between its top and bottom edges. The closer the fit between the edges of this plate and the walls of the crate the greater is this reinforcing effect. The plate is held in position upon these brackets 21 by two locks mounted at the respective ends of the box.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4; and 7 is shown a lock of one form and in Figs. 8 and 9 is shown a lock of somewhat different design.

The latch or look 22, shown in Figs. 1 to 7, is formed from a single length of wire bent at the ends to have oppositely-extending hinge pivots 23, parallel vertical parts 24, parallel inclined parts 25, parallel horizontal parts 26, and the horizontal uniting part 27. The hinge pivots 23 engage the hinge journals 28, the latter consisting of small pieces of sheet metal bent back upon themselves and riveted to the sheet metal of the end wall 2 and formed with a hollow bead 28 to receive the ends of the latches 22. The locks are free to swing about the axis of these hinged connections with the end wall 2. As shown in the drawings, the latch is hinged to the outer face of the end wall 2,

and the vertical parts 24 of the latch are adapted to normally lie flat against the outer face of the end wall on opposite sides of the hand hole 12. Theportions 25 and 26 of the latch form inwardly projecting lugs 29 which are received by the vertically elongated apertures 30 so that the lugs may be permitted to enter the box interior and engage the ends of the plate 16. These lugs are held in operative position by means of the flat spring 31 secured at its lower end to the end wall 2, and shaped at its upper end to embrace the horizontal cross part 27 of the lock. This spring 31 tends to force the lugs 29 to their innermost position and thereby to prevent the removal of the plate 16 from the crate. The upper end of the spring 31 is bent so as to have a horizontally inward projecting hooked portion'or stop 31". As the latch 22 moves outwardly, the cross-bar 27 has a vertical slidin engage- 'ment with the spring 31, which 1s limited tain the cross-bar 27 and the spring 31 in proper operative engagement under all circumstances. The plate 16 can be removed by taking hold of the latch 22 at any convenient point and pulling it back against the action of the spring 31 until it is entirely out of the path through which the plate must pass when being withdrawn from the crate. lVhen the plate 16 is being placed in position it is merely, necessary to force it downward, the inclined portions 25 of the latches automatically causing them to be pushed outwardly until the plate has reached its position upon the brackets 21, when the latches are automatically snapped into engagement with the plate under the action formed at its two ends, the I parallel inwardly inclined portions 25, the parallel horizontal portions 26, the approximately vertical portions 24', and the horizontal cross connecting portion 27. As in the first form of latch, so in this the parts 25 and 26 form lugs 29' which engage and lock in position the plate 16.

The hinge pivots 23 of this lock are journaled in the hollow bead 28 formed midway between the'longitudinal edges of the plate 28, the metal of the plate being folded back upon itself and the two vertically disposed thicknesses of metal thus formed being riveted to the inner face of the end wall 2. The head 28 extends across the upper edge of the hand hole 12. The horizontal portions 26 pass through the hand hole 12 just above the lower edge thereof and the Vertical portions 24' project downward upon the outside of the box. The flat spring 31 is riveted to the end wall 2 and is formed at its upper end to embrace the cross connecting portion 27 and to maintain the lugs 29 in their innermost position. As in the case of the other form of locking device the plate 16 is automatically locked in position when it is thrust downward and can be removed by pulling either one of the locking wires 22 outward until that end of the plate is free to move upward.

By means of thislocking device the retaining plate is automatically locked when inserted in the crate, is always held in position and is readily and quickly withdrawn therefrom. By making the latch and the spring of mechanically separate parts, the weight of the plate and of the bottles and their contents when the crate is in inverted position is taken entirely by the latch and is never applied in anv manner or in any degree to the spring itself. By thus relieving the spring from any stresses other than those resulting from the simple function of holding the latch to its innermost position, there is no danger of the spring becoming weak and permitting the plate to accidentally fall from the box. By mounting the spring in the position shown in the drawings the upper hooked end is protected by the outwardly projecting rim of the adjacent hand hole just above the spring, and the location of the latch with respect to the hand hole is such that the fingers of the operator can more readily engage the latch to pull it to operative position. In the case of the looking device of the first form, it will be observed that the inner face of the end wall 2 is entirely free from projections of any kind, with the single exception of the lugs 29, and that for that reason the plate 16 can be readily pushed into position, both ends descending together. When the edges of the hand holes are so formed'or when the latches are so pivotally secured to the inside of the end walls that the smooth interior surface of the end walls is in any way interrupted by inward projections, difiiculty is experienced posed horizontally movable latches on the crate walls adapted to normally project within the crate to engage the plate andlock it in position, and springs each arranged to hold one of the latchesin innermost position.

2. The combination of a bottle crate having vertical lateral walls, a horizontal retaining plate snugly fitting between the lateral walls, the interior faces of the walls being free from rigid inward projections above the said plate, two oppositely disposed horizontally movable latches on the crate walls adapted to normally project within the crate to engage the plate and lock it in position, the latches having downward and inward inclined upper faces, and springs each arranged to hold one of the latches in innermost position.

3. The combination of a bottle crate having an apertured lateral wall, a horizontal retaining plate'therefor, a latch for the plate comprising a single length of wire bent to have upper horizontal hinge pins, two parallel inward projecting lugs and a lower cross connecting part, the latch being hinged to the crate so that the lugs will move substantially horizontally in arcs of circles in the apertures in the wall, and a spring on the crate exterior engaging the cross connecting part of the latch to hold the lugs in operative position.

4. The combination of a crate, a cellular structure mounted therein, a bottle-retaining plate having openings vertically registering with the cells of the said cellular structure, a latch secured to the crate and movable horizontally into and out of position for locking the plate against upward movement, and a spring mounted on the crate in position to hold the latch in looking position and provided with a stop for limiting the movement of the latch in the direction of unlockmg.

5. The combination of a crate, a cellular structure therein, a bottle-retaining plate having openings vertically registering with the cells of the said cellular structure, a latch secured to one of the crate walls and movable horizontally inward into position to lock the plate against upward movement and outward to permit such movement, and a Vertically disposed horizontally acting cantaliver spring secured to the crate wall and arranged to press against the latch and hold it in looking position and provided with a stop adapted to engage the latch when the latter is moved in the direction of unlocking and to limit such movement.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

in presence of two witnesses.

GOTTLIEB KLENK.

Witnesses: 1

' C. C. HOFFMAN,- DEY AYERS. 

